Ernakulam Court To Pronounce Verdict In Actress Assault Case On December 8

The Principal District and Sessions Court, Ernakulam today posted for verdict the actress assault case, in which prominent Malayalam film actor Dileep is arrayed as the 8th accused. The Court will pronounce its decision in the case on December 8.

Dileep is accused of hatching the criminal conspiracy behind the abduction and sexual assault of the victim, also an actor, in a moving vehicle in the outskirts of Cochin city in February 2017.

The Kerala Police had arrested Dileep in July 2017 alleging that he was the mastermind of the crime. After 88 days of custody, the High Court had granted him bail.

In November 2019, while rejecting Dileep's plea for a copy of the memory card allegedly containing visuals of the sexual crime, the Supreme Court had ordered that the trial in the case should be completed expeditiously, "preferably within six months", i.e., by January 31, 2023.

Thereafter, the Apex Court had granted extension of time for completion the trial while directing that the proceedings be completed as expeditiously as possible. It had passed the order allowing an extension application filed by the trial judge seeking time till March 31, 2024.

In August this year, based on a petition by a journalist, the Kerala High Court had called for a status report from the Principle District and Sessions Court in Ernakulam, which is trying the actress assault case since 2018.

Case No: SC 118 of 2018

Case Title: State of Kerala v. Sunil N.S. @ Pulsar Suni and Ors.